


the flower withers, but the seed remains

by KeeperofSeeds



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Force Unleashed - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Blanket Permission, Canonical Character Death, Felucia, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Character Death, POV Female Character, Podfic Welcome, Post-Order 66, Post-Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Shaak Ti lives, Survivor Guilt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-07-17 08:01:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16091420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeeperofSeeds/pseuds/KeeperofSeeds
Summary: Shaak Ti survives the assault on the Temple. She escapes to Felucia and sees first hand the aftermath of Order 66.





	the flower withers, but the seed remains

**Author's Note:**

> I was replaying the Star Wars the Force Unleashed video game that has Shaak Ti set up on Felucia post Order 66 and remembered that in canon that is where Revenge of the Sith shows Aayla being killed. Even though canonically I believe Shaak Ti's death is assumed to be when the Temple was marched on, I decided to write her escaping to bring on the sadness for this little plot bunny that bit me. Shaak Ti deserved better than to die off screen. IDK how it would be possible but I love exploring the idea of more individual Jedi surviving out alone in the Universe.
> 
> Title is part of a quote by Khalil Gibran, "Oh heart, if one should say to you that the soul perishes like the body, answer that the flower withers, but the seed remains."

It takes her more than a week to find the body. The psychic backlash echoes out, even here in the Outer Rim, clouding her vision. She feels the ache in the Force more acutely in this particular stretch of forest,and bares with the additional pain to follow a path through tall shadows of local flora to where the body lies, half hidden beneath the leaves carpeting the ground. Brown leggings blending into the dusty path, legs lying twisted where she fell. Ashen blue skin, its color now dull against the bright plant life surrounding it, over taking it. Dark magenta blood, dried and smeared around her.

Aayla.

Shaak Ti falls to her knees beside the body.

"Oh Aayla," she breathes, head falling forward with the weight of grief pressing down upon her. She lets it wash over her in waves, the pain of yet another lost Jedi amid the pain of thousands, the lost hope that maybe she wasn't alone here after all. She lets it weigh her down and then inhales, smelling the rich plant life around her, feels the rich earth slide through her fingers, feels the strength of the Force all around her and thinks, yes...this could be a fine resting place.  
Shaak Ti places a hand on Aayla forehead, closes her eyes and intones, "be at peace in the Force young one." Then she rises and begins preparations.

The war had made it difficult to nigh impossible to give traditional funerals to those Jedi who died on the battlefield. On far away planets, or cities overtake by Separatists with barely the chance to retreat with the troops, let alone bring any fallen brethren home. It had been a hard lesson for many Jedi to accept. Too many beings had been lost before the Council had admitted the need to put out an official order. No matter how long it's been since she's attended an funeral, it is not something she will ever forget.

Shaak Ti begins gathering small, dead branches already littering the ground and the small tufts of grass that will serve as a fire starter. She will give Aayla her funeral pyre. This was the least she could do for the young Knight. You deserved better Shaak Ti thought, we all did.

* * *

The work goes slowly. She allows herself to become lost in the physical exertion. The ache in her shoulders from dragging larger branches she severs with her lightsaber, the sweat dripping down her back from the planet's overhead sun, even the low level ache in her montrals helps distract her from the gaping hole in the Force, from her deep well of her grief.

The pyre grows, slowly but surely, layer upon layer. Quinlan should be here, she thinks, as she stacks the wood branches higher and higher. Their brothers and sisters should be here.

Instead, she is alone, on a far flung planet, hiding from men she helped train. Guilt pierces the haze of grief and she almost falls to her knees a second time with the weight of it.

If only she knew why. Why the men turned so suddenly against them? Why the Temple itself was attacked?

With great effort, she pushes those thoughts away. Later, she thinks. Those are worries for later. Now though, Aalya deserves her full attention.

The pyre is small, but densely packed with branches and local plants that she hopes burn well in the planet's moist heat. She rolls Aayla onto her cloak and pulls her to the clearing she'd set up the pyre in. That done she finds a nearby stream and after filling up one of the flasks she’d taken from the ship, she rips strips from the bottom of her tunics and soaks them in the mineral rich water. Returning to the pyre she kneels next to Aayla and washes her face and arms,then gently down each length of her lekku, cleaning away the dirt and blood as best she can.  
She tries to not count the number of blaster holes and scorch marks on Aayla’s torso.  
She also tries not to think about how the majority of them are on Aayla’s back.

* * *

She runs a hand down Aayla’s side, checking for anything left behind in her pockets or belt pouches.

There is nothing.

Even Aayla's lightsaber is gone. Shaak feels sick at the idea of it being taken. Taken by men Aayla had trusted. Perhaps by Commander Bly himself. Was it for proof of her death? A trophy? Or something even more sinister. She doesn’t want to think about it.

How could they have all been so blind? How could she have been so blind?

It takes her another long moment to breathe through the emotions that threaten to overwhelm her. To gather up the strength to levitate Aayla onto the makeshift pyre. It takes longer still to start the fire and wait for it to catch.

Shaak Ti stands as straight as she can, and bows her head as Aayla’s pyre burns. She whispers old words between the cracking of the growing fire, aware that it may be the last time this ritual was completed.

* * *

Two moons have risen over the horizon by the time the she finds the will to move. Returning to her ship she gathers up what supplies she can. She will need to move away from here. Away from any local settlements. At least for now. Who knows if the clones will return to this planet? The smoke from the pyre will have drawn attention, if her ship touching down had not.

She needs time.

Time to mourn and time to plan. She cannot be the only survivor. There must be more of them. But for now, surviving is what she must focus on. As much as it hurts. It's all she can do. A Jedi alone cannot storm the Temple and retake all that was lost.

Shaak Ti looks once more at the flames of the pyre, and turns to walk away, following the winding path of the river out of sight. She will remember those who were gone. She would endure. That was all she could do now. 

**Author's Note:**

> "To live in hearts we leave behind  
> Is not to die."
> 
> ~Thomas Campbell, "Hallowed Ground


End file.
